The Reploid population in Neo Arcadia was dropping at a terrible rate, and the power of the immerse city dictated this as well; for every hundred Reploids disappeared, the power would rise just slightly before taking a rather steep dip again. Nothing seemed to work, and the very foundation of Neo Arcadia was slowly starting to peel apart.
As Sage Harpuia soon found, the Guardians were forbidden from letting any one know about this new development. At least, no one living in the city. Loopholes could be found any where if you looked hard enough, and the Mother Elf was a loophole that Harpuia sought out regularly.
Reviewing the news he was sure she already knew, the green Guardian stops at the door to her chamber and nearly knocked. There were voices on the other side that he could just barely make out. Curious, Sage Harpuia leaned in a bit closer to the door to overhear whatever conversation was going on inside.
"We have too much in common Mother, we are perfect for each other." a voice, Harpuia knew, belonged to Copy X speaking with a matter of fact tone.
"You may be right, but there is still one major difference between you and I."
"And what is that?"
"I know that I am simply a mirror and you knowingly live in a lie. When you accept that you are not truly Him, then we can get along better. Until then however..."
"You will continue to reject me?"
"Must I spell it out even further for you?"
"No." came the short, hinting at being angered, reply. "I believe you are making yourself quite clear Mother."
A long drawn silence then fell over the two before Copy X spoke up once more, "What must I do to prove to you that you and I are one?! What can I do to show that I… that we could..."
"Tekiya," the Mother Elf resonated softly, "I already told you. And I did not think that I would have to repeat myself over, and over, and over again for you to understand that we will never, ever, ever replicate the exact relationship that they had. Even then, why would we? I already have her memories of happy times- why try to recreate them synthetically just for an aesthetic? Quite frankly, I don't see the point, nor am I going to discuss it much further with you."
"What are you saying?" Copy X snapped.
"Good bye Tekiya. That is what I am saying. Get out of my chamber and have a circular argument with someone else. I'm tired of talking right now, so get out."
In an astonished silence, Copy X remained where he was for a few moment before bitterly turning on his heel. Realizing that he was going to get caught eavesdropping, Harpuia backed himself away from the door a bit to give the idea that he was just walking up as the fake opened the door. Copy X looked as if he were about to have a tantrum when he looked up at Harpuia. If looks could have killed, the green Guardian would have been dismantled where he stood.
"What are you doing here?" Tekiya snapped at Harpuia.
"For the same reason you have apparently," was his cool response, "To seek audience of the Mother Elf."
"You're out of luck, she doesn't want to see anyone else today!"
"Tekiya… I want my griffin." the Mother Elf's voice instigated from inside her chamber. "You can not deny him because he is not coming to see you. Leave, and direct your anger toward someone else."
"Believe me..." Copy X mumbled darkly, "I will."
"Good bye Tekiya." the Mother Elf said to him, mirroring the fake's tone. Copy X left without another word, moving his body like a stiff doll that illustrated his anger. The Mother Elf's hologram folded her arms as a stern look crossed her face. Harpuia, meanwhile, entered the room and shut the door to give them a bit more privacy.
"I do wish you could have interrupted sooner griffin," the Mother Elf then resigned, "Tekiya gets so testy when things don't go his way. I suppose it is to be expected, his original had over a hundred years to get his emotions sorted out. Tekiya's still only a child, really, and treating him as such does interesting things to his judgment. I'm not sure how you and your siblings grew so splendidly compared to him. But no two Reploids are the same, and they never will be no matter how many times you revive their data."
"Mother, please tell me… am I anything like him?"
"Who my dear griffin- Tekiya or Him?"
"You know which one I mean..." Harpuia mumbled to her softly, bowing his head in shame. The Mother Elf's hologram tilted her head and placed her hands at her side. It was like she was confused… stumped even.
"Sage Harpuia..." she whispered, "Why are you comparing yourself to him? To either of them for that matter?"
The Guardian shrugged. "I don't want to be like him."
"So you count the ways that you are similar? My love, how do you function with such stress?"
"Mother… I..." Harpuia slowly muttered, placing his hand on his helmet- if his head was uncovered, his hand would have surely been combing through nervously. The Mother Elf observed him, her hologram's face expressionless and unreadable.
"Do you know what makes a Mega Man, a Mega Man yet?"
Harpuia looked up at the Mother Elf in a mix of surprise and shame. "I… I've given up." he admitted. "I couldn't find what made Mega Men special. Please Mother, tell me the secret."
"It's humility, my dear griffin. It's the ability and knowledge of knowing that they were wrong, and taking a step back to allow another to come forward. You see my dear griffin, He gave in to His humility enough that he didn't have any left to spare in his data for when Tekiya was constructed. However, by luck or influence, you four have this humility placed within you, thus making you superior to Tekiya in every way. Remember this humility as Neo Arcadia goes into war -don't give me that look, you know it's coming too- and when the opposing side needs aid. A fair fight is a fight you can lose, even if it costs the lives of hundreds."
"Understood." Harpuia agreed.
"And… Sage Harpuia…." the Mother Elf then said, her tone quiet and almost unsure.
"Yes Mother?"
"If there comes a time where Tekiya can not fulfill his duties and you placed in his stead- you will try to remain neutral with our enemies unless they strike first, correct?"
"I will see what I can do Mother." Harpuia agreed.
"Thank you my dear. It means much to me."
"Anything for you Mother." Harpuia promised with a small bow.
"Now," the Mother Elf then resigned, "You came to inform me of current events?"
Harpuia nodded and gave the details. When he finished his report, he remained with the Mother Elf for a while longer simply because he could. She did not stop him as she knew what was to come in the future, and a time of solace was always welcome before the storm.